“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” (1 Ch. 16:8)

What are the chances that 102 pilgrims sailing from Plymouth, England in 1620 would encounter two English speaking Indians on the North American continent?  These Indians, named Samoset and Squanto, became instrumental in the pilgrims’ survival.  They helped the pilgrims learn how to plant corn, catch fish, and trade with friendly Indian tribes. 

Was God looking out for the pilgrims?  Apparently the pilgrims thought so.  At the end of the summer of 1621, after building new dwellings, planting and harvesting food to get them through the next winter, the pilgrims were “brimming over with gratitude” and Governor Bradford declared a day of public thanksgiving in October.  (The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel.)

As our National Day of Thanksgiving approaches this week, I pause to reflect on some of the blessings for which I am deeply thankful: God the Father and his son Jesus Christ who love me and offer to dwell in me through the Holy Spirit and give me purpose in loving and serving the people in my life; a loving wife of 61 years and a mutual love that grows deeper each year; a family of five children and their families that include 13 grandchildren who are believing Christians and enjoy one another’s company; an adult daughter with Down syndrome whose bright smile, hugs, and inclination to love shows the rest of us the face of God; and Christian friends from the People of Praise community, Christians in Commerce, St. Mark Catholic Church, and our neighborhood who would take a call at 3:00 A.M. if the need arose.

This list does not mean we are exempt from trials and temptations, for who can escape them in this world.  But we share the God of the pilgrims who calls us, strengthens us, and upholds us.

What are you thankful for?  Make a list and offer it up to God in thanksgiving.

“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)

This was Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who was sitting beside the road as Jesus was passing by.  Bartimaeus had cried out to Jesus despite efforts by the crowd to shut him up.  When Jesus heard his cries for help, the Gospel of Mark tells us that he stopped and called Bartimaeus to him and asked the above question.  Bartimaeus said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”  Jesus said, “’Go, your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”  (Mark 10:46-52)

How would you respond if Jesus asked you the same question, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

Over the years I have asked Jesus for guidance in making decisions, for healing for others and myself, and for his blessings on our family and friends.  This has included a major career decision impacting both my career and family; the healing of an advanced and aggressive form of prostate cancer and its subsequent recurrence; post-career decisions on what activities and ministries to participate in upon retirement; and the day-to-day response to life’s challenges and opportunities. 

Sometimes the response is not as quick as Jesus’ healing of Bartimaeus.   Marilynn and I prayed for each of our children to marry Christian spouses and raise Christian families.  While his response evolved over time, he certainly answered our prayers.  We asked Jesus to bless our daughter, Emily born with Down syndrome, so she could be a source of joy and love to our family and others.  A couple of years ago he gave her a ministry of serving coffee and cookies after weekday masses.  She loves greeting people with a hug and handing them a cup, and they love her in return.

Jesus is always available.  Sometimes I mess up and forget to ask him, and the result usually reflects my lapse.    

How would you respond if Jesus asked you what he could do for you?     

A large crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus, but as evening approached the disciples suggested that Jesus send them away to get something to eat.   Instead, Jesus took five loaves and two fish that the disciples had and multiplied them to feed a crowd of more than five thousand. (Mt. 14:13-21)

This was not the first time that the disciples’ actions had the unintended effect of separating people from Jesus.  On another occasion, the disciples tried to protect Jesus by preventing people from bringing their little children to him, but he said, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) In another incident, the disciples rebuked Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet as he shouted out to Jesus to heal his blindness. Jesus ignored their efforts, called Bartimaeus to him, and healed him.  (Mark 10:46-52) And yet again, the disciples told Jairus, who had asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter, not to bother Jesus after word had come that his daughter had died.  But Jesus went on to raise his daughter to life.  (Luke 8:49-50)

How often do we unwittingly seek to separate others or ourselves from Jesus?  The possibilities are numerous — letting our kid’s soccer game or an invitation to play golf on Sunday morning get in the way of attending church; sleeping in and missing a time we had set aside for prayer; being a bad example to our children on an issue of integrity; holding on to anger and refusing to forgive another for some slight or wrong.  Even though we may not realize it, all these examples tend to build separation between God and us or others.  Any kind of sin tends to drive a wedge between us and God. 

Rather, our actions should be like the friends of the paralytic who carried him on a mat and tried to lay him before Jesus so he could heal him.  When they could not break through the crowd to get to Jesus, they carried the paralytic up on the roof, removed the tiles and lowered him down on his mat in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith and the efforts to which they had gone, he healed the paralytic and forgave him his sins. (Luke 5:17-26)  

One of our prime responsibilities as Christian parents is to introduce our children to Jesus.  We should encourage them by our word and example to grow in their faith so that they will be able to live out that faith in their own lives.

How often do we unwittingly seek to separate others or ourselves from Jesus? 

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

St. Paul made this statement after being dragged out of the city of Lystra and stoned.  He and Barnabas had been preaching the good news there when Paul saw a man who had been crippled from birth.  Paul perceived that the man had faith to be healed and asked him to stand up.  He did and started walking and jumping around.  The people were amazed, but then some people came from Antioch who were jealous of Paul and won over the crowd.  They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking him dead. 

Paul recovered from his stoning and returned to Lystra, strengthening the disciples, encouraging them to remain true to the faith, and making the above statement. (Acts 14:8-20)

There was resistance to building the kingdom of God in Paul’s day and there is resistance in our day.  Christians around the world are encountering ever increasing resistance and persecution in the Middle East, Africa, China, and parts of what was once considered Christendom.  In our country, we find increasing hostility to God’s natural law and scripture-based beliefs in traditional marriage and life, including the life of unborn babies.      

We should not be surprised by these trends for Jesus warned, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20) But he also said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:10)

The Holy Spirit took this small group of apostles, who ran in fear at Jesus’ arrest, and turned them into bold spokesmen for Jesus and the kingdom of God.  They and their successors overcame one of the most powerful and longest lasting empires the world has ever seen and brought the kingdom of God to millions of people in most of the known world. 

This same Holy Spirit is available to us today.  Perhaps we and our circumstances are different from the first disciples, but the Holy Spirit is not.  The same power to build and advance the kingdom of God is available to us just like it was to Paul and the first disciples.  Yes, there will likely be hardships as Paul mentions, and perhaps even persecution. 

But this is what the love that is central to the kingdom of God is all about – sacrifice, the giving of self, and the laying down of one’s desires for the love of God and others.  It may run counter to our nature, but it is a higher calling that God has for each of us – building God’s kingdom with the people and circumstances in our lives here and now. 

Are you willing to experience persecution to advance God’s kingdom?